1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image communication apparatus represented by a facsimile apparatus and having multicast transmission (multi-address transmission) function of transmitting image data to a plurality of designated transmission destinations in response to one transmission request and, more specifically, to an image communication apparatus capable of easily and highly flexibly designating destinations of multicast transmission. The present invention also relates to an image forming apparatus including such an image communication apparatus.
2. Description of the Background Art
It has become increasingly common to connect an image forming apparatus having a printer function or a copy function to a network, to allow use by a plurality of users. Further, the number of apparatuses having a plurality of functions (modes) such as a copy function, an image communication function (typically a facsimile function; hereinafter “facsimile” may also be denoted as FAX or fax), a network-supported printer function and a scanner function, such as multi-function peripherals (MFP) as one type of image forming apparatuses, is increasing. The image communication function includes the facsimile function of transmitting/receiving image data using public line, an Internet facsimile function of transmitting/receiving image data using Internet connection, and an electronic mail transmitting function of transmitting/receiving image data as an attachment to an electronic mail.
In the image communication function as such, in order to simplify user's operation and to prevent misdirection, it is a common practice to register a destination name and a destination number (FAX number, mail address) as a speed dial or an abbreviated dial, and to designate a destination using the speed dial or the abbreviated dial at the time of transmission.
Further, it is also common to transmit the same document to a plurality of constant destinations such as branches of a company, related departments or customers. In order to ease the trouble of such an operation, the image transmitting function often includes a so-called multicast transmission function. The multicast transmission refers to transmission of the same image data to a plurality of input destinations. When using the multicast transmission, it is necessary to confirm that there is no input omission. Therefore, it is necessary to compare the destinations of past multicast transmission history and the actually input destinations. It is troublesome to examine the plurality of destinations each time.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-184706 (hereinafter referred to as “'706 Reference”) discloses a communication apparatus as a solution to such a problem. The communication apparatus having the multicast transmission function disclosed in '706 Reference includes an input receiving unit for receiving inputs of a plurality of destinations of multicast transmission, storage for storing history records of multicast transmission, and an alarm unit, responsive to a transmission start instruction, when the input receiving unit receives input of a plurality of destinations, giving an alarm if a history record of multicast transmission having all the input destinations and any other destination as the destinations is stored in the storage unit, to urge the user to confirm whether there is any input omission.
According to the communication apparatus, at the time of multicast transmission, it is possible to prevent omission without the necessity of checking the destinations input by the user.